Journey To The Edge Of The Stars
by Dr.Flax
Summary: When the Great Comet NOVA falls ill to a mysterious force, Kirby, along with some old and new friends must journey to the edge of the stars and beyond to save the Gamble Galaxy. But will their efforts be enough? Guess what! NEW CHAPTER! Chapter Five is ready to go!
1. Journey To The Edge Of The Stars

**DISCLAIMER: I do not claim ownership to Kirby or anything affiliated with Nintendo.**

** After a brutally long and unjustifiable hiatus from writing, I have returned with this thing! It's going to revolve heavily around the games continuity like my other two stories. I wrote this with space and trans-dimensional travel in mind, so if you don't like any of those things, well, there might not be much for you here. **

** ANYWAYS. Enough Talking. The time for Story Time is now! Enjoy! **

Journey to The Edge of The Stars

Kirby bounded up the hill, headed straight for the king's castle. He'd been summoned, along with many of his friends, to an important meeting in the throne room of Castle Dedede. The details were vague, but Kirby figured whatever the meeting was for, it was surely important.

Castle Dedede was one of the tallest buildings in all of Dreamland. It was also, as Kirby could testify, one of the most defended. Thousands of Waddle Dees, Sir Kibbles, Waddle Doos, Poppy Brothers and Blade Knights prowled the halls, waiting for any intruders to dare enter. The captain of the King's army, _the_ Waddle Dee himself stood at the front gate. His blue bandanna was tied around his head as always, a gift from Adeleine, the world famous artist after an adventure they all shared together so long ago.

"Kirby!" Waddle Dee shouted, "C'mon, the meetings starting!"

"Sorry!" Kirby said apologetically, "I slept late today."

Waddle Dee took Kirby by the paw and the two hurriedly scampered through the halls towards the throne room.

Six figures stood at the foot of the King's throne. Three of them floated just above the floor, though one used two beating wings to hover. The rest had their feet planted firmly on the ground.

Magolor was the first to greet Kirby.

"Hey, old buddy!" He said jovially, "Still kicking, I see!"

Kirby and the Halcandran slapped hands. Taranza wrung his six hands together nervously.

"Hello, Kirby." He managed, "Uh, no hard feelings right? We cleared this up a while ago, yes, but still…"

Magolor chuckled, "Stop it, Taranza, Kirby's a real forgiving guy!"

The other mage smiled, "Yes, I know."

Ribbon flew down and embraced her old friend.

"Kirby!" She started, "It's been so long, I've been so busy!"

"I know!" Kirby said, "Me too!"

Adeleine cut in, "Hey, Mr. Pink Puff!"

Kirby made a face, "Well, hello to you, Ms. Paint-Face!"

The two shared a quick laugh and a quick hug.

Kirby looked around the room once more and sighed happily at the thought that the gang was together again, with the added company of Taranza.

The last person to greet Kirby was none other than Meta Knight. He stood a bit offset from the group, and shot Kirby only an approving nod. The masked knight had a particular dislike for formal meetings.

King Dedede cleared his throat importantly.

"Um, hey!" He cut into the reunion, "I know we have some serious catching up to do, but it'll have to wait!"

Everyone turned to look at the penguin king, who glared down at them. Dedede still hadn't lost his air of royalty.

"Now then." He said, "As the King of Dreamland and the Planet Popstar, I have the oh-so-exhilarating duty of checking the Star Rod every morning for trouble. And that was going great for a while, nothing to report. Until this morning."

Dedede pointed to the fountain behind him.

The Star Rod, which was formerly located in the Rainbow Resort, had been moved, along with the Fountain of Dreams, to the inside of Castle Dedede after the Nightmare Incident. Dedede had sworn to protect the sacred object, but he bellyached that Rainbow Resort was just too far away to guarantee that protection. With some help of Meta Knight's personal guard, the Fountain was safely relocated to Dedede's throne room.

"See how it's not glowing?" The King commented, "Something's up in the Universe but I can't get the darn thing to show me what!"

Magolor, being well versed in ancient relics, raised his hand.

"Well, King, no offence, but to get the Star Rod to show what's up, someone with a pure heart needs to activate it. And your hands aren't exactly clean."

Dedede bristled at the comment, and several of the occupants of the room giggled. The King sighed.

"Well then." He gestured to Kirby, "You're up, marshmallow boy."

Kirby smiled at the King's newfound humility, however unlikely it was to show. The puff walked to the fountain and stepped cautiously into the shimmering waters. It wasn't warm and inviting like it usually was. The water was cold and frigid. Kirby shivered, but stepped in front of the Star Rod. He spread his paws, the Star Rod lifted from its pedestal. The star on its top glowed and shimmered red and blue. The sound of shining stars filled the room, and a glowing orb materialized in front of the assembly.

Meta Knight squinted into the orb as the image inside cleared. He stared intently as a blanket of stars was shone to all. The Gamble Galaxy could clearly be seen, and soon enough, the Great Comet NOVA came into view.

But instead of his usual shining golden appearance, NOVA's sun-like skin was rusted and haggard. The wise eyes that had granted the wishes of the brave were tired and blank. The usual turning of the gears on Nova's sides was slow and laborious. The Comet's voice echoed through the room.

"…Help…"

Everyone shook with chills, even Meta Knight.

The orb quickly faded, and the Star Rod plinked down in its pedestal unceremoniously. Everyone stood in shock for a long while. Meta Knight broke the silence with a low whisper.

"I know of no power great enough to do such a thing.

Magolor shook his head, "The ancients designed NOVA to be invincible to practically everything. He could be damaged, but that would be easily repaired over time. Whatever did this had to have limitless…"

He recalled something, "The crown…"

Adeleine clutched her Crystal Shard she wore around her neck in her hand.

"I'll bet that Dark Matter's involved in all of this." She muttered.

"Regardless of who did this," Meta Knight spoke up, louder this time, "We should go to NOVA and investigate. We will find more answers there than here."

Magolor snapped his hand, "Right. I'll bring the Lor around. We'll be there in a few minutes, tops."

Kirby looked to the Star Rod, which had faded in color.

"Should we bring the Star Rod?" He asked.

Dedede scratched his lower beak. "If that crazy Nightmare has anything to do with this, we should take it, yeah. Grab it, Kirby."

Kirby did so, pulling the faded rod from its place. He hopped down next to the King and handed it to him.

Dedede took it and placed in his robe. He took up his hammer and led the group outside. Waddle Dee walked beside him.

"Your majesty, "Who will guard the caste?" He asked.

King Dedede stopped, letting the others walk past he and Waddle Dee.

"Good question." He said, "But whatever's going on up there is more important than what we should worry about down here. We'll leave it alone."

Waddle Dee shifted from one foot to the other, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

The King nodded and kept walking, "I'm sure."

Waddle Dee shrugged, and kept pace.

The Lor Starcutter had set down right in front of Castle Dedede. The ramp leading to the ship's interior extended welcomingly towards the group. Magolor stepped to one side and gestured to the door.

"Go on, she won't bite!" He said happily, "Unless she decides to!"

The inside of the ship was just as Kirby remembered. Magolor's control board hovered above the floor in the center of the first room. The giant view screen displayed the ship's energy capacity. All one hundred and twenty energy spheres were in place, and Kirby couldn't help but smile at the fruits of his arduous effort.

Adeleine and Ribbon walked aboard chatting amiably as they always did, and Dedede gravitated towards them along with Waddle Dee. Taranza and Magolor stuck together at the main computer hub. Meta Knight stood alone, as usual. Kirby found himself standing in the middle of the three parties.

He stared for a moment at Meta Knight and found himself walking towards the knight. Meta Knight noticed Kirby's approach and turned towards him.

Kirby shifted awkwardly under the piercing gaze

"If you have something to say, you should say it." Meta Knight said lightly.

"Well…" Kirby sighed, "I get the feeling that you know what's going on."

Meta Knight eyed Kirby critically.

"You could say that I have an idea." The Knight said carefully.

"Well, what is it?" Kirby pressed.

Meta Knight spread his hands; "There are many who would abuse the power of NOVA for their own gains. Such as Marx."

Kirby winced, "Yes, but he's gone."

Meta Knight clicked his tongue, "No Kirby. You cannot kill a soul. We thought the same fate of Magolor, and he is very much alive as you can clearly see. Though, he returned to us the same as he was before his transformation."

"But Marx ripped himself apart." Kirby countered, "He broke apart and everything. He's gone."

"Wrong again, young one." Meta Knight said with a slight twinge of amusement, "The power he absorbed is too great to be destroyed. He is just as alive as you and I. But he was driven mad. He is more dangerous than you think."

"Well, where is he?" Kirby asked.

"That," Meta Knight replied, "I do not know. But I sense that he, as well as several other foes of ours, is behind NOVA's current state. We must get to the bottom of whatever transpired there."

Kirby looked to the glossy floor, uncomfortable with what he was about to ask. "What if NOVA…"

"Dies?" Meta Knight put a thoughtful paw where his mouth would be, "I suspect the result would be catastrophic. The immense power stored within NOVA would be released all at once. The entire Gamble Galaxy is in danger, and I believe the problem goes beyond what we know now. We can only wait as of now."

Kirby sighed. Meta Knight had a way of putting things in a manner that sounded hopeless. But the Knight himself never showed anything more than mild emotion whenever he spoke outside of battle.

The Lor Starcutter cut through the Gamble Galaxy swiftly. The small ship and its occupants were unaware of the mass following close behind. A black cloud surged undetected through space, just behind the Lor. No one realized what danger they were in until Adeleine's Crystal Shard began to whine.

"Trouble!" She shouted, "There's Dark Matter nearby!"

Ribbon put a hand on her temple, "Yeah, I can feel it! Behind us!"

Magolor, skeptical of the danger, shook his head, "No way, there's nothing faster than my ship. They'll be behind us in no time flat!"

"Magolor." Meta Knight ordered sternly, "Check behind us."

Magolor's brow ruffled, but he obeyed, opening a visual connection with the rear of the ship. He jumped with a start upon seeing the billowing mass of black matter following close behind.

"Everybody hang on!" He shouted.

Taranza gripped the control board with all six hands. The others grabbed hold of whatever they could hang on to as Magolor whipped the Lor into a hard turn. The ship groaned under the pressure of the turn, but obeyed.

Magolor saw the cloud whip past his ship and grinned. He wasn't called the best Starcutter pilot in the Gamble Galaxy for nothing. He willed the Lor's engines to maximum power. The ship's two engines flared and the Lor rocketed towards the cloud. Magolor held fast to his control board, but Taranza was blocking the weapon controls.

"Hey, Spider Face!" He grunted, "Mind moving out of the way for a minute?"

Taranza held fast, "You know, eight hands is better than two and six combined. How about I help?"

Magolor quickly agreed, "Fine! Hit the button with the globe icon on it!"

One of Taranza's six hands slapped down on the button. The Lor flashed with energy and a bubble shield engulfed the entire vessel.

"Good!" Magolor said, "Now hold tight! Things are going to get bumpy!"

The Lor smashed into the cloud. Small Dark Matters were knocked away from the mass as the Lor plowed through. The cloud was forcefully parted around the Lor until the ship had bore a huge hole all the way through. Magolor spun the ship around.

"Okay, Taranza." He said as the ship halted, "Disengage the shield."

Taranza's free hand tapped the button and the bubble around the Lor dissipated. The spidery mage looked to his counterpart.

"What now?" Taranza asked as Magolor observed the cloud.

"Hit the button with the oar icon." Magolor ordered, "That'll buy me some time to think."

Taranza obeyed and his hand came down on the oar icon. The Lor lurched as its six oars jettisoned into space.

"What're you doing?!" Ribbon shouted, "Don't we need those to fly?!"

"Nope." Magolor said, proudly, "Just watch!"

The oars suddenly began to shimmer in a golden aura. They pointed to the offending cloud of Dark Matter and launched themselves at it. The cloud seemed to panic as the oars carved through it. They ripped through the cloud like knives through butter, peeling off more Dark Matters in the process.

Magolor snapped his hand, "I've got it!"

"What?" Taranza asked.

"Hit the button with the sail on it!" Magolor said excitedly as the oars returned to the Lor's sides. "I'll handle it from there!"

Immediately after Taranza hit the button, a vicious tornado erupted from the Lor's sail. The cloud was trapped in it as soon as the tornado appeared. Magolor yanked the Lor into a spin, dragging the wounded Dark Matter cloud along with the it. He strained under the stress of the spin, but he held on. The Lor picked up speed rapidly in the turn.

After a few long seconds, Magolor rasped to Taranza, "Press it again!"

Taranza's hand moved slowly against the force of the turn, but he slammed it down on the button. The tornado cut out almost instantly, and the cloud, released from its orbit with the Lor, rocketed off into space at a startling speed. Magolor eased the Lor out of its own spin and very nearly collapsed in exhaustion.

He picked his head up slowly, glancing around the control room.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked.

Adeleine checked her Crystal Shard. It had returned to its normal state.

"Everything's A-Okay as far as I'm concerned." She said.

Everyone agreed with her sentiment.

"Man, I've been on the business end of that…" Dedede said with a hint of appreciation, "Still, good job, there, Magolor."

The Halcandran shrugged, "Well, I had to do something. Sorry it involved so much spinning."

"You did what you had to." Meta Knight said, "But we mustn't be hung up on this small victory. We have to reach NOVA."

"Don't be such a buzzkill, MK." Magolor said, "We're all just as anxious to get to NOVA as you are. Lighten up a bit."

The Knight, not willing to argue with the witty Halcandran, simply shrugged.

Magolor turned to Taranza, "You did pretty good for a first-time flyer."

Taranza spread his hands, "All I did was press a few buttons. Even Dedede could have done that."

"Hey!"

Magolor snickered, "Yes, well. It helps to have an extra hand or two with controlling this ship."

Kirby looked to Meta Knight, "So Dark Matter's in on this too."

Meta Knight sighed, "It would seem as much."

Ribbon floated over to Kirby, "I wouldn't worry too much about Dark Matter." She said, "It's rogue Dark Matter that forms these clouds. They're independent of one another, so they aren't much of a threat."

Meta Knight looked at her curiously, "Independent Dark Matters, you say?"

"Yeah." Ribbon said, matter-of-factly, "It's almost like a beehive that lost its queen, only replace the bees with an interstellar death blob and the queen with a giant apathetic eyeball."

Kirby shuddered, "Good thing that eyeball is destroyed, right?"

Ribbon nodded, "Really good."

"Your Majesty!" A shrill voice broke the silence of NOVA's Core.

She turned to see a small, purple puff bounding up the silvery steps to NOVA's heart. She narrowed her eyes in distaste.

"This had better be important, little imp."

"Oh!" He said, "It's quite important! Very important! Yes, extremely important, indeed!"

"Well, out with it." She said, boredly, "I don't have an eternity."

"Our cloud we made, you know the one, failed in defeating them! No fun, no fun at all!"

The female put a weary hand on her head, "This heart transplant is taking longer than I thought. They'll ruin everything…"

"What should we do?!" The imp bounced up and down in panic, "What should we do?!"

The female looked to the object in her left hand. It was red and pulsating with raw hatred. She shivered.

"Go." She ordered her imp, "Prepare the defenses! I shall continue with this operation. I trust that you will serve me well."

The imp leapt into the air, "As you wish, My Glorious Majesty!"

With that, the imp hopped down the stairs, laughing in psychotic glee. The female looked after him, disturbed, then down at the red orb in her hand. She turned back to the broken heart in its chamber in the center of NOVA. The red orb hovered away from her hand and hung just in front of NOVA's shattered heart. The female tensed, poised to rip the heart out of its chamber.

"That little imp had better do his job." She muttered, "Or the Master's plan will fail. And if that happens, I'm finished…"

** Aaaaand that wraps up Chapter One! Oh boy, this is gonna be fun! If you liked what you read, please leave a review, drop some advice or discuss your love of pancakes, 'cause hey, I like those too. Until next time!**


	2. Relocation

**Oh boy, oh boy! Plot! I'd like to thank my first two reviewers to this story for the positive feedback. I'll be sure to continue this further. …So, that's about it for this note. On to the thickening of the plot or something! (Oh, by the way, from now on, a triple zero (000) will denote a break since I can't figure out how to make those yet.)**

Relocation

The Lor Starcutter, having defeated the Dark Matter cloud, traveled to NOVA's coordinated unhindered. Only, upon arriving at NOVA's presumed location, the group noticed a small problem.

NOVA was gone.

Magolor stared blankly at the massive screen aboard the Lor. His eyes scanned the space where NOVA should have been intently. Behind him, the group crowded around him, each wearing a confused expression, sans Meta Knight, who was lost deep in thought as Magolor was. The floating mage twitched upon noticing the closeness of the others, and he whirled around, wearing an indignant expression.

"Hey!" He shouted, "I get that everybody's confused but if you _please_, I could use some space! Back off!"

Everyone, even Meta Knight, winced at the usually pleasant mage's hostility. They forgot he had a nasty temper when something didn't go exactly to plan. They murmured their apologies and slinked away, waiting for something to happen aboard the silent Lor. Magolor scratched the back of his head.

"I just don't get it." He muttered, "I followed the coordinated to NOVA perfectly! How could he not be here?! You can't just _move_ a giant stopwatch and nobody notices!"

He sighed, deflated.

"Okay, I got nothing." He said bitterly, "Anybody got any theories?"

Everyone looked back and forth at one another before letting out a collective shrug. Meta Knight stared at the empty space in front of the Lor and grimaced.

"This is most interesting." He started, "As Magolor stated, our coordinates are perfectly correct, to the decimal even. Why NOVA is not present is curious."

Dedede opened his yap, "Maybe he just up and moved? I'd get bored staring at the same stars for eternity if I was a giant space clock."

Magolor twitched, "That's stupid! You're stupid! This whole thing is stupid!"

Before Dedede or Waddle Dee could object to the outburst, the mage slammed his gloved hands down on the control board, "How do you lose a giant clockwork god?!" He shouted.

"Temper, temper." Ribbon chided, "We gotta stay calm."

Magolor stared at her, his anger fading, "Sorry. This is just ridiculous. We come all the way out here thanks to some stupid star on a stick to get lead to a blank space. How are none of you mad?"

Kirby shrugged, "I'm pretty used to something not going according to plan. I'm more of a play-it-by-ear kind of person, anyways."

Adeleine nodded, "Yeah, nothing we ever do goes right, right guys?"

Everyone agreed, even Meta Knight contributed a sharp nod.

Taranza studied the space.

"Say, King Dedede." He started, "You brought along the Star Rod?"

Dedede nodded, "Yeah, what's up?"

Taranza gestured to the space in front of the Lor, "If the Star Rod could show us what was wrong, maybe it can show us, or even bring us to where something is wrong."

Dedede was cautious in revealing the Star Rod. The King knew it was extremely important, and was careful not to damage it.

"Well, Pinky?" he held it out to Kirby, slowly, "Be careful with it."

Kirby took the Star Rod with his paws and studied it. It was almost fully gray, even the red ribbon around the hilt had faded. Kirby looked at it sadly before holding it up.

The Star Rod sparked once, the star at its tip glowing faintly, before dying out again. Kirby waved it around again, with similar results.

"Interference." Meta Knight suggested, "We need to get the Star Rod away from the Lor's interference. Magolor, would you mind letting Kirby out?"

"Certainly." Magolor said, calmly. Despite his temper, the Halcandran cooled down rather quickly, especially when a solution could be found.

Magolor opened the Lor's side hatch and the temperature dropped slightly. Despite it being outer space, the Gamble Galaxy was remarkably survivable without protection, as several members of the group could testify.

Kirby jumped through the hatch, leaving the Lor's artificial gravity behind. He could float freely if he wanted to, but decided he wanted to have something to stand on top of. Kirby floated his way to the deck of the Starcutter and planted his feet firmly on the silvery surface, the sail billowing behind him. He held the Star Rod up.

The Star Rod flashed brightly, projecting a tiny portal, fit exactly for Kirby's size in front of him. Kirby peered through the portal and glimpsed the great comet NOVA in its haggard state, nearly motionless in a dimension not seen by Kirby for a long while. Kirby stared determinedly into the portal for a moment before closing it with a swipe of the Star Rod.

Kirby floated over to the Lor's side hatch. Everyone watched him enter the ship expectantly. He padded over to Dedede and relinquished the Star Rod.

"NOVA was moved to Another Dimension."

Magolor, Dedede, Meta Knight and Waddle Dee all tensed at once.

"_The_ Another Dimension?" Waddle Dee asked, remembering the collapsing violet force that chased them through shadowy replicas of both Dreamland and Halcandra, "That one?"

Kirby nodded, grimly.

"Another Dimension?" Ribbon asked, and Adeleine piped up.

"Where's that?" The painter asked, twisting her brush nervously.

Dedede looked to them both and made a face, "Long story. I'll give you two the short version. Help me out, Waddle Dee, in case I leave something out?"

Waddle Dee nodded and padded towards Adeleine and Ribbon. Kirby, Magolor, Meta Knight and Taranza congregated near the control board.

"So." Taranza stated dryly, "You all know about the gap between Halcandra and the Gamble Galaxy as well."

Meta Knight stared at Taranza coldly, "How do you know of it?"

"An accident." The spidery mage said simply, "I was experimenting with transdimensional spells."

Magolor cut in, "What I don't understand is how it still exists. It was really unstable, last time we all saw it. I thought it collapsed."

Kirby and Meta Knight both nodded.

"It did," Kirby said, "But I guess it didn't."

"I theorize that the dimension is so incredibly unstable that it cannot even destroy itself without reforming." Meta Knight reasoned, "I liken it to a volcano. As one part of the dimension collapses another forms."

Magolor nodded, "Of course. All of that absorbed matter had to go somewhere, and I guess it just got spat back out into the same place."

Kirby cut into the scientific theorization, "That's great and all, but what's the plan here? NOVA's in a whole other dimension. I know that you can take us there, Magolor, but is it such a great idea to go in blind? It could be a trap!"

Taranza eyed Kirby admiringly, "You know, for an impulsive creature, you sure have good ideas. Kirby is right, we need a plan."

Dedede had just about wrapped up the tale of his and Waddle Dee's, Meta Knight's and Kirby's adventure to Another Dimension, complete with Magolor's redemption and parting. Adeleine and Ribbon listened intently the whole time.

"Wow." Ribbon said when Dedede finished, "So Magolor was a bad guy?"

"Yeah, he was, not anymore." Dedede said, "You can kind of see it, with that temper of his."

Adeleine grinned, "You'd know about tempers, eh, Dedede?"

Dedede grimaced, "You know, if we weren't on good terms, I'd smash you into the floor."

Waddle Dee and Adeleine giggled, and King Dedede couldn't help but smile. Ribbon, however, wasn't exactly content.

"You trust Magolor?" She asked, "Even after all that?"

"Aw, c'mon, Ribbon." Waddle Dee groaned, "You don't trust _anybody_!"

Ribbon bristled, "I trust you three and Kirby and even Meta Knight! But those two floating guys…"

"Magolor was corrupted by that crown, you know." Dedede pointed out, "And if he was so evil, why would he go through the trouble of building a giant theme park in the sky to say he was sorry?"

Ribbon sighed, "Good point. But that spider guy?"

"Popstar would be ruled by a giant wasp if it wasn't for him," Dedede countered, "Right, Waddle Dee?"

"Yep." Waddle Dee said, "He even helps us around the castle, now!"

"They're both fine, Ribbon." Dedede said, "Trust me."

Ribbon thought for a moment, glancing over at Adeleine, who nodded at her, reassuringly.

"Okay." The fairy said, "I trust you."

"Good." Dedede said, proud of his persuasion, "Now let's see what we're going to do!"

"We have a plan." Meta Knight announced, "Using what we know about NOVA, we've devised a plan to free him from his illness."

"Do tell!" Dedede encouraged.

Meta Knight waited until everyone was close enough to hear him clearly before speaking.

"We have found a way to enter NOVA, but it will guarantee detection by whatever force has overtaken him. Kirby, after resetting NOVA's core during the battle with Marx, blasted a hole in NOVA's forehead area. The hole is large enough to fit the Lor Starcutter in, but we will have to fight off NOVA's infectors."

Adeleine and Ribbon both made faces of disdain. Ribbon was mostly a healer, being taught in various medicinal practices while on Ripple Star. She had a particular dislike of fighting. Adeleine, on the other hand, was reliant on her paintings and drawings to fight for her. She was rather weak physically, and was naturally averted from conflict.

"Isn't there a way to get there without being noticed?" Adeleine griped, "I'd rather not waste ink on anything that isn't a Maxim Tomato or something."

Ribbon nodded in agreement, "Maybe we could take the Warp Star?"

"Oh, right!" Kirby said, "The Warp Star's real small, but we could fit everybody on it no problem, I think!"

"They wouldn't detect the Warp Star?" Magolor asked.

Meta Knight shook his head, "No, the Warp Star is purely solidified heroic energy. Even the most advanced sensors couldn't detect it."

"It's settled, then!" Waddle Dee said, "We'll take the Warp Star!"

"Okay, everyone." Kirby said, "Stand back."

The pink puff produced his cell phone and pressed the star-shaped button in its center. He rocked on his heels impatiently.

Suddenly, in a burst of light, a five-pointed star exploded into existence in the center of the room.

"Alright!" Kirby cheered, "Everyone on! Make some room, it'll be a tight squeeze, got it?"

Magolor felt uneasy, "I'm not too sure how I feel about leaving my ship behind all alone."

"She'll fare better here than under attack by NOVA." Taranza mused, "Don't worry about it."

Magolor sighed, and grabbed a piece of the Warp Star.

Kirby eased the Warp Star towards the Lor's hatch, and with some difficulty, eased it into space.

"Magolor!" He called over the Warp Star's whine, "Tell the Lor to open a portal to Another Dimension!"

"Okay!" Magolor hollered back.

He concentrated hard on the Lor's control deck. With some effort, he willed the Lor to activate its Dimensional Drive. A brilliant white beam erupted from the Lor's emblem on the bow of the ship. The beam spread out into a star-shaped portal directly in front of the ship. Kirby nodded appreciatively at Magolor and aimed the Warp Star for the portal. The golden star rocketed into the gateway to Another Dimension with lightning speed. Kirby shouted with glee.

"NOVA, here we come!"

000

"Your Majesty!" The imp broke her concentration for the second time.

She turned briskly towards the imp.

"What now?" She asked sternly.

"I sense a portal has been opened nearby, from the other side."

The female clenched her gloved hands, "Is there no end to my problems?!" She almost shouted, "First, I am stuck with only the company of a deranged half-dead imp! Then, The Master wants me to channel him into the Heart of Nova! And now, I must deal with some pesky heroes in my way?!"

The imp slinked away, "I am sorry, Your Majesty, very sorry, profusely!"

She placed a weary hand on her head, "How far away are they?"

"Close, very close, indeed." The imp cackled, "I'm getting chills, they're so very close!"

"Stop that." She ordered, "Let them come."

"Let them?" The imp asked, "Let them?! Let them come in?!"

He burst into mad laughter.

"Yes." She said, "You will meet with them."

"Me!" He shrilled, "I'll eat them!"

"No!" She shouted, "You will not! You will bring them to our sleeping friend."

"The Sleeper?" The imp stopped cackling and his eyes fell, "I do not like the Sleeper. He sleeps but does not wake. He only sleeps. He is a sleeper."

"Yes." The female twitched, "He does. But if you bring them to the Sleeper, he will wake up."

The imp's eyes lit up, "He will wake? The Sleeper can't be the Sleeper if he is awake!"

"No, he can't." The female noted, turning back to her work, "But don't you want a new friend to play with?"

"I do!" The imp said happily, "The Sleeper will be my friend!"

"Go to them." She ordered, "And bring them to the Sleeper."

"I will have a new friend!" The imp cried out with joy as he left. He began to sing as he left, causing her to cringe.

"Now then." She said to herself, "The heart is almost removed. I need but a few more precious moments. And that imp will buy me those moments."

She laughed to herself, "When the Knight awakes I'll finally have someone sane to speak with. And when The Master is revived, I'll have my own beautiful corner of the universe to be as far away from that imp as I can be."

She sighed at the thought, "But I need to do this before I can have that. NOVA, you've been stubborn thus far, but your heart will leave its chamber today…"

**Chapter Two draws to a close! **

**A lot of talking in this chapter, because I wanted to have as much action as I could fit in Chapter Three, and I promise, things will get interesting. A lot can happen when you're inside a giant space clock god. I just hope nobody gets tangled in all of those gears! How lame would that be? Anyways, until next chapter, and please drop a review if you liked or have any suggestions! **


	3. The Sleeper

**IT IS TIME FOR ACTION!**

**Maybe! Depends on how I end up working this chapter out. It's going to have less talking than Chapter Two, hopefully. I do like to write dialogue, especially for that little imp guy who **_**does**_** in fact draw inspiration from Gollum. Again, I'd like to thank my reviewers so far. The positive feedback I'm getting is making me want to write **_**more**_**, and seeing how summer break is a thing, I **_**can**_** write more! …So yeah! Thanks again, and enjoy!**

The Sleeper

The imp scampered excitedly through the halls of NOVA's innards, laughing in pure glee. He did not like the Sleeper when the Sleeper slept, so to hear that bringing the group of interlopers to the sleeping Sleeper would wake the Sleeper up, it was too much for him. He laughed all the way through the halls, babbling to himself.

"I will play with the Sleeper all the time and we will be best friends!" He giggled, "We will play and play and play until it is time to sleep and then the Sleeper will sleep, but he'll wake up and it'll be so much fun!"

The imp stopped in his tracks as he remembered something about the entity that was asleep deep within NOVA's innards.

"The Sleeper is pink." The imp recalled with some difficulty, and he bared his teeth, "I do not like pink. Pink is a bad color."

He snarled, "Pink is a bad color!"

The imp suddenly became aware that he was yelling, and immediately calmed down.

"I do not want to wake the Sleeper," He whispered guiltily, "Not before the bad people get here."

Then he remembered his task again; "I must greet them and bring them to the sleeper!"

The imp dashed through the halls of NOVA, heading to where he knew Kirby and crew would arrive. He sprinted on two feet and giggled madly at the thought of the Sleeper being awakened. Suddenly, he stopped. He could hear voices. The imp suddenly became afraid. What if the people didn't like him? What if they shunned him? The imp didn't like that thought very much.

He slinked into a shadowy corner and watched with wide eyes as the voices drew closer.

Dedede, Waddle Dee, Ribbon and Adeleine were recalling the events of their adventure, and how much the innards of NOVA reminded them of the factory on Shiver Star. Magolor and Taranza talked to themselves about the reliability of certain spells, and Kirby walked closest to Meta Knight, who kept to himself, as usual. None of them noticed the tiny imp hiding in the shadowy corner.

But the imp had noticed one of _them_: a certain blue-garbed mage floating close to a similar spidery mage. Something clicked within the imp's frenzied mind, and his eyes brightened.

"Magolor!" He shouted with glee.

Magolor, as well as everyone else in the group, jumped upon hearing the shrill voice. The Halcandran snapped his eyes to the source of the voice and floated back a foot or two.

"Who?!" Was all the frightened mage could utter before the figure revealed itself by bowling the floating Halcandran over with a tackle.

"Magolor!" The imp shrilled again, leaping off of the dazed Magolor, "It's-"

"Marx!" Kirby jumped back, fearfully, as well as most of the other members of the group.

"He's _alive?!"_ Waddle Dee cried out, incredulously, "I thought he tore himself up!"

"He did." Meta Knight said with a lethal edge, "But he was too powerful to be killed by such simple means."

Everyone drew back several feet, even Magolor tried to escape the sickly imp. But Marx kept the Halcandran close.

"Magolor?" The imp prodded, "Don't you remember me? I'm Marx! You know, Marx!" He broke into giggles again, "It's _me_!"

Magolor, regaining his composure, indeed recognized the imp. But it resembled his former friend only in physical appearance. The voice Marx spoke in was unnaturally high-pitched and Magolor could see the instability behind Marx's eyes. Magolor drew back ever so slightly.

"What happened to him?!" Magolor barked, "He looks terrible!"

Marx laughed madly, "I'm hideous!"

"How do you know Marx?" Meta Knight demanded.

Magolor responded, clearly distraught, "It's a real long story!"

Marx tore his gaze away from the retreating Halcandran. His manic stare settled on Kirby, and he bared his fangs.

"Pink!" He snarled, "Pink is a bad color!"

Marx rounded on Kirby, snarling and gnashing his teeth, "You!" He shouted, "You are a bad boy! You hurt me and now I'm gonna hurt you! I'm gonna hurt you real good! Yes, _really _good!"

Kirby reached a fighting stance as Marx drew closer, while everyone else helped Magolor off the floor.

"Kirby!" Dedede shouted, "Here!"

The King hurled his hammer at Kirby. Kirby leapt up and inhaled it.

In a blast of stars and light, Kirby planted his feet on the ground, holding a wooden mallet high above his head. Marx hissed and jumped back, turning on the others in the group.

"Stay away!" He roared, and began to shake violently.

He struggled against an unseen force, and began giggling. Slowly and painfully, two gnarled purple spikes protruded from Marx's back. Meta Knight saw this as an opportunity and bounded forward, his sword held in a striking position. As Meta Knight jumped up, Marx's wings sprouted entirely, flashing dark energy beneath them like feathers. Marx took to the air. Meta Knight's eyes widened as the crazed imp rocketed above him. Two feet came crashing down on his back.

Meta Knight fell to the ground, spinning, and landed on his feet. He sprang back to analyze the situation.

Kirby had rounded on Marx with his hammer and jumped up at the imp from behind. The hammer slammed into Marx's back, between the two wings. Marx collapsed on himself and vanished.

"Darn." Kirby said as he landed back on the floor, "I forgot he could do that!"

Marx reappeared directly in front of Meta Knight and blasted the knight with arrows. Meta Knight deflected and skidded out of the way, stopping in front of the other cowering members of the group. Marx grinned madly and spread his wings.

"You stay!" He said.

The imp's eyes flashed and hurled seeds from his wingtips. The seeds landed in front of the group, and before anyone could react, thick rose vines erupted from the seeds. They were trapped.

Kirby faced his old foe. He'd beaten Marx before, and he'd have to do it again. Marx, on the other hand, was having some trouble focusing on Kirby. His eyes were shut tight and his fangs were clenched.

The female's voice echoed in his mind, "Why have you not brought them to the sleeping one yet?!" She demanded, "Your role is not to fight!"

The imp whimpered, "They wanted to hurt me!"

"So do I!" She growled, "Bring them to the sleeping one. Now!"

Marx opened his eyes and found that Kirby wasn't where he was before. Marx's eyes widened in panic. The snapped his eyes around him and saw no sign of Kirby.

Then he felt pain.

The hammer came grinding down on Marx's skull, and the imp slammed into the ground. He cried out as Kirby landed next to him, ready to strike again.

"Wait!" Marx shrieked, "Wait, wait, wait!"

Kirby stopped mid-swing. He eyed the imp curiously.

Dedede and Adeleine piped up from the thorny cage.

"What're you doing?!" Adeleine barked.

"Finish him off!" Dedede ordered, "He's too dangerous!"

Marx rolled on his back and glared daggers at Kirby. The pink puff couldn't help but feel sorry for Marx. He'd been twisted by the power of NOVA and was forced to live out his days in solitude.

Marx retracted his wings with some effort and stood back on his feet.

"I am not supposed to fight." He said simply.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kirby asked.

"I am not supposed to fight!" Marx restated with force, "I am supposed to lead you!"

"Lead us to where?" Meta Knight demanded from behind the rose barrier.

"To the Sleeper!" Marx spat, then giggled, "And you will wake the Sleeper up!"

"The Sleeper?" Kirby asked, then decided to go along with whatever Marx had in store, "Okay, Marx. You can bring me to the Sleeper. But you have to free my friends."

Marx closed one eye defiantly, "I do not want to."

"Don't you want to play with Magolor?" Kirby asked slyly.

Marx faltered and a wide, genuine smile grew on his face. "I do, I do! I do! Oh boy, oh boy!"

The vines trapping the group collapsed, and the group slowly advanced on Marx, who waited happily for Magolor. The Halcandran was less than enthusiastic, especially under the suspicious gazes of Meta Knight and Ribbon. He slowly floated towards Marx and spoke in a near whisper.

"H-hey, there." He said carefully, "It's been a while, huh?"

Marx bounced up and down happily, "I have so much to tell you! Remember when I told you that I would take over the whole planet?"

Magolor cringed, "Y-yeah?"

"I did it!" Marx said innocently, "I did it, I did it!"

Magolor felt the two stares of Ribbon and Meta Knight boring into his back. Kirby narrowed his eyes at Magolor. They'd discuss this later, surely.

"Okay, Marx." Kirby urged, "You have to lead us to this sleeping person."

Marx hissed at Kirby, but Magolor nodded and the hiss was replaced by a fierce glare.

"Fine, fine, fine." Marx spat, "Follow."

NOVA was indeed massive.

Thousands of hallways crisscrossed each other in the clockwork comet's innards, but Marx seemed to know exactly where to go. He expertly navigated the halls, absolute in his direction.

Meta Knight watched the imp curiously and critically. He speculated that Marx must've gained some sort of connection with NOVA upon his reanimation in soul form. Meta Knight stayed close to Marx in case the mad imp tried to pull something. Meta Knight's hand was constantly on the handle of his sword.

Taranza stayed near Dedede, Waddle Dee and Adeleine, while Ribbon had made her way to Kirby's side. The spidery mage was very clearly confused.

"I take it you all are familiar with the impish creature." He said.

"Yeah, sadly." Waddle Dee groaned, "You can probably tell, but he's not a very fun guy to be around."

Dedede nodded sympathetically, "The little thing tricked Kirby into summoning up NOVA and darn near took over the whole planet."

Taranza eyed the imp, still confused, "But he said that he did take over."

"Look at him." Adeleine said flatly, "Do you really think that he's sane enough to remember things clearly?"

"No." Taranza admitted, "But even so."

"That was his wish." Waddle Dee said simply, "He wanted to control Popstar or something like that. But Kirby beat him up."

Dedede chuckled, "He beat him up real good."

Taranza scratched his head, "Then how is he alive?"

Dedede shrugged, "He absorbed the power of NOVA while he was drifting through space, and now he's absolutely insane."

Taranza shuddered. Power could do that to someone, he'd seen first hand.

Ribbon stuck closest to Kirby. She whispered intently to him.

"I don't trust Magolor." She said, "At all."

Kirby eyed her nervously, "He's fine. He's a good guy, now remember?"

"Yes, but…" Ribbon was cut off by her friend.

"If Magolor was a bad guy I don't think he'd take us to NOVA, fight a cloud of Dark Matter for us, and still stick with us. Almost every bad guy I know turned when we got to the final destination. And this is it, Ribbon."

She sighed, "I'm just watching out for you."

"I know." He smiled sweetly, "You always do."

Ribbon felt her face grow hot and turned away, nervously.

Marx had talked to Magolor the whole walk to the golden chamber he led them to. It was mostly repetitive babble, as Marx had not had a civil conversation that didn't end with being berated with someone in a long, long time. Magolor's head swam with questions. How did Marx end up so wrong? Magolor knew from experience that power corrupted, but Marx had stayed corrupt.

Why did Magolor come back very much the same, while Marx was revived with insanity? The Halcandran figured that Meta Knight knew, but also realized that Meta Knight probably didn't trust Magolor much since he was friendly with Marx.

Finally, after a long hike to the chamber, Marx stopped babbling to Magolor.

"We're here." He said, "Stay back and I will open the door."

Marx cackled to himself as Magolor retreated from the massive golden door.

The Halcandran found himself floating next to Meta Knight and he winced, feeling the distrust in the air between them. Meta Knight was the last person he'd want as an enemy.

The doors opened slowly, and a brilliant golden light showered the group. The light died down after a few moments, and the interior of the chamber was revealed. Adeleine's eyes went wide.

"Wow!" She exclaimed, "Look at that!"

The chamber was made mostly of a golden metal that shimmered in the tiny star nestled in the top of the chamber's domed ceiling. The entire room was circular, marked with ancient lettering not unlike those aboard the Lor Starcutter. Studded in the center of the wall opposite the door was a massive ruby.

Meta Knight's eyes widened as Marx stepped forward, just in front of the huge crystal.

"Sleeper!" He shouted, "I brought friends!"

The crystal did nothing at first, and Marx pouted. But then, a small crack appeared on the surface. Marx quit his pouting and giggled darkly. The cracks began to multiply until the entire surface of the crystal was marred by deep gashes.

Marx shouted with glee when it shattered entirely, flooding the entire chamber in angelic white light, drowning out the golden light of the tiny star in the chamber's domed ceiling.

"Everyone stand back!" Meta Knight ordered, unsheathing his sword.

He advanced on Marx in a fury, "You fool!" He shouted, "Do you know what you've done?!"

Marx whirled around and his eyes bulged when Meta Knight's sword came slashing down inches away from his face. The imp laughed.

"I made a new friend!" He shrieked, "But you can play with him first!

With that, the imp vanished from the room, leaving only the dying echoes of his laughter.

"Who's that?!" Adeleine pointed at the source of the white light which was dying down.

Meta Knight stepped forward, holding his sword at the ready. He turned his head slightly towards the group.

"Galacta Knight."

**Ooooh, cliffhanger! I don't know if you guys can tell, but writing for this many characters is kinda hard, at least balancing the dialogue out is. I completely forgot about Waddle Dee until halfway through, so I went back and gave him more lines. My OFFICIAL (and not at all BS) excuse for having him talk so little is that he has no mouth. SO HUSH. **

**Also. Marx is a jerk. **

**As usual, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it and if you did feel free to drop a review because they make me feel good inside.**


	4. Galacta Knight

**OKAY. NEW CHAPTER TIME!**

**I took a little time off because of no reason in particular (Translation: I'm lazy). So sorry about the wait… I have nothing really important to say here. Let's jump in, shall we?**

Galacta Knight

Meta Knight turned to the group as the bright light faded.

** "**Go!" He ordered, "I'll hold Galacta Knight off!"

"What?!" Kirby blurted out, "You can't-"

"I have and I will again." Meta Knight said, holding up his paw, "Go Kirby."

Ribbon patted Kirby on the back, reassuringly. Waddle Dee stepped forward, "Where do we go, Meta Knight?"

"The heart!" Meta Knight shouted, "Follow the Star Rod! Now go!"

With that, the rest of the group wished Meta Knight luck and fled the chamber. Meta Knight turned back to his opponent. The angelic knight alighted on the bronze floor of the chamber and stood inspecting his shield and lance. His blood red eyes flared dangerously with power, but his movements were reserved and calm. He finally looked to Meta Knight, who was tense and on edge. The angelic knight chuckled.

"Come to best me again, eh?" He said with lethal edge, "Well I won't have it."

Meta Knight grunted, "I'm sure. Though I'm curious as to how you survived defeat twice."

The other knight visibly twitched, "I am bound to this foolish deity like that imp you encountered. I cannot die. No matter how many times I am defeated, I will always be resealed here in stasis. It is a certain kind of hell."

Meta Knight stepped forward, "Then why are you working with the imp?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions here." The lancer said, "I do not work alongside anyone. The imp was kind enough to set me free, so I will honor his deed in combat with his foe."

Meta Knight squinted, "I suppose you aren't above working with him anyway."

Galacta Knight grinned under his mask, "You'd be correct. I suspect he and whoever his master is have a plan that involves me. I'd be foolish not to offer my services to them, don't you think?"

"Then you must die again." Meta Knight said, holding out his blade, "En guard."

Galacta Knight's eyes showed a hint of amusement as he assumed his battle stance. The two knights stood motionless for several moments.

Then they exploded into action.

Meta Knight charged, his cape bursting into a pair of leathery wings. His sword glowed bright gold as it came slashing down on Galacta Knight. The angelic knight blocked the slash with his shield and immediately jabbed with his lance. Meta Knight jumped back and parried the stab with the guard of his blade. He landed on his feet and spread his wings. Galacta Knight rushed forward, his eagle wings flaring above him powerfully. The angelic soldier thrust his lance into the ground at Meta Knight's feet, cracking the floor. Meta Knight leapt away, back flipping away from his foe. He held is sword ready when he landed.

Galacta Knight was already upon him, slashing his lance with lethal precision and speed. Meta Knight countered each one as they increased in speed. Their weapons were suddenly a blur, the ringing of metal resounding through the chamber with each successful parry. One would have mistaken the noise for the rapid chiming of bells.

Meta Knight's eyes flared intensely upon catching another parry. He slid his blade's guard around Galacta Knight's lance and pulled violently upward. The lance wrenched free of Galacta Knight's hand and the surprised knight gasped. Meta Knight plunged his blade down on him, but only met the hard ground. His foe had left the ground in favor of the air and soared over Meta Knight's head.

Meta Knight saw the lance lying on the ground a few yards away and pushed off the ground with his own leathery wings. Galacta Knight saw this and folded his wings back, diving down on his discarded weapon. Meta Knight watched as the other knight picked up his weapon.

Meta Knight flew higher and circled around the chamber along the wall. Galacta Knight too had begun circling the chamber. They rounded each other like sharks in the water until finally, they charged at each other in mid-air. Galacta Knight held his lance forward, poised to stab through Meta Knight, who held his blade over the pauldron opposite his sword paw in a defensive manner. They rocketed towards each other at high speed.

A brilliant flash exploded from their collision, blade and lance colliding in an echoing ring of metal. No damage had been dealt throughout the entire fight. Galacta Knight grunted as he saw his foe alight unwounded.

"He's strong…" Galacta muttered, "But I'm stronger!"

In frustration, Galacta plunged his lance into the ground. Meta Knight recognized his foes intention and prepared to avoid the attack. Galacta Knight crackled with energy. The room's temperature dropped significantly, even the tiny controlled star in the ceiling dimmed as Galacta reached into his own power reserves. He drew the lance from the ground and a brilliant red plasma tornado erupted from the fissure. Meta Knight dodged to the right, leaping out of the way as the tornado lurched forward. Metal plates from the wall were torn away and were thrown around the chamber. Meta Knight dodged the plates and grunted as Galacta readied another tornado as the first died away.

Meta Knight rushed at his angelic foe, blade held out in front of him. Galacta saw this and raised his shield in defense. Meta Knight's attack glanced harmlessly off of the shield as Galacta withdrew his lance.

"Enough!" Galacta shouted, stabbing forward with his lance.

The attack landed, drawing a thin cut on Meta Knight's left side. Meta Knight ignored this and beat his wings once, pushing off the ground with one foot. The movement caused him to spin like a drill, charging at Galacta Knight once more. The shield came up again, ready to block the attack. Meta Knight's blade connected with the shield. His attack's momentum drilled into the shield, cracking it as it continued. Meta Knight grinned when the offending object shattered in Galacta's paw.

"Fool!" Galacta Knight bellowed, knocking Meta Knight aside with his newly freed paw. "I am the most powerful warrior ever to live! You stand no chance!"

Meta Knight slid on his feet against Galacta's punch. Meta Knight gripped his blade tightly and raised it high over his head. Galacta Knight charged forward. The charge was aborted when Meta Knight's sword burst into gold flame.

"Don't dare underestimate my power!" Meta Knight growled, "You'll know it well when I'm through with you!"

The fire on Meta Knight's sword glowed brightly. Galacta Knight studied him for a moment before holding his lance at the ready. They stood apart once more, waiting for the other to move.

This time, Galacta Knight made the first move.

The angelic warrior spun on his heel and unleashed a beam of energy from his lance. Meta Knight anticipated this and leapt into the air, spreading his wings. He swung his fiery blade, creating crests of flame where he slashed it. They rocketed towards Galacta Knight, who leapt and dodged out of the way as they exploded against the floor and walls, leaving large scorch marks where they landed. Galacta Knight grunted and jumped forward. He stabbed his lance into the air and brought it down onto the ground again, causing a flurry of bolts of energy to appear around him. They exploded into movement, shooting towards Meta Knight like tracers from a shotgun.

The airborne knight dropped to the ground and glared at the other across from him. No serious injuries were inflicted. Meta Knight felt the slight strain of fatigue on his sword arm and growled lowly. He hoped the others were making good time…

000

"I hope Meta Knight's doing alright." Magolor mused as they hurried through the halls of NOVA, "That other guy looked tough."

"Galacta Knight's really something." Dedede said, "But Meta Knight's beaten him already. He'll be fine."

Taranza had tuned them out for the moment. He floated along with them, but remained set off from the group. A hand rested on his head and his eyes were straining to stay open. Ribbon noticed this and looked back at the spidery mage. She prodded Adeleine, who was struggling to keep up with everyone carrying her easel.

"Hey, Ad," Ribbon said, "What's with him?"

"I dunno," Adeleine said through gritted teeth, "Why don't you ask?"

Kirby overheard them and stopped running. He lowered the glowing Star Rod, which fizzled out rather unceremoniously as he did so.

"Hey, Taranza." Kirby said, "Are you okay?"

The mage's eyes widened for a moment, and he found himself staring directly into Kirby's eyes intensely. Taranza's hands shook and the mage collapsed to the ground. Magolor watched Taranza quiver on the ground before squinting in concentration.

"He's in some kinda trance." Magolor stated, "What should we do with him?"

"Well we can't leave him." Waddle Dee said, "Great King, you're strong. Why don't you carry him?"

Dedede fumed, "Oh sure, lug around a spat-up hammer," He glared at Kirby who suddenly took an interest in the ceiling, "And a whole other person?! No way!"

Adeleine snapped her fingers, "I got it!"

She began painting on her easel. Everyone stared at her as she worked, furiously painting long, elaborate strokes. Before long, she was finished.

"Presto!" She exclaimed, spinning her easel for all to see, "This N-Z should be able to carry him!"

Adeleine's magic paint brought the single N-Z off of the canvas. It plopped to the ground blinked up at the group shyly.

"Aw." Magolor said, clasping his hands together, "He reminds me of some of the people on Halcandra!"

Kirby nodded, "Yeah, they do look pretty similar."

Adeleine watched her creation scuttle to each of the members of the group with curiosity. She smiled and walked over to the little N-Z.

"Okay, N-Z." She said, pointing to Taranza, "Can you pick up that wizard fella?"

The N-Z blinked at her, then looked back to the collapsed wizard. It nodded once and scuttled over to Taranza, propping the mage up on its head.

"Good!" Adeleine clapped, "Now follow us!"

The N-Z blinked happily and scuttled quickly after the group as they continued through NOVA's complex system of halls.

000

"Majesty!" Marx shouted upon teleporting into the Heart of NOVA's chamber, "I have awoken the Sleeper!"

The imp broke into peals of laughter, but was quickly silenced by a wave of his master's hand.

"You fool!" She shouted, "The Knight was supposed to attack all of them! He only fights with one! The rest are coming!"

Marx cowered and slinked down onto the floor beneath her, his wide eyes diverted away from her, "I'm sorry, majesty…"

"And now I must summon the troops!" She shouted, "Here, hold this."

The female shoved the red orb she was carrying onto Marx's head. He balanced the rather doughy orb frantically. He whimpered.

The female ignored her servant's whimpers and spread her hands. A portal expanded slowly in front of her and a rush of wind filled the chamber. Marx could hear a thousand marching feet resonating from the portal and he smiled.

"Does this mean I can have more friends to play with?!" He shrilled.

The female nodded, under stress from her current undertaking. She began to sweat as the portal swelled to full capacity.

"Go, my servants!" She shouted, "Choke the halls with your numbers and block the passages with your dead! Leave none alive!"

Thousands of ant-like soldiers wielding spears, clubs, bows and shields came into full view inside of the portal. The female swung her right hand into the air, and a ramp of vines shot from the metal-plated floor to the mouth of the portal. The massive army surged forward, marching down the ramp and into the chamber, orderly and organized. A larger ant wearing golden armor stepped to one side, allowing his troops to pass. They emerged in waves, marching briskly down the staircase and into the halls of NOVA.

"My Lady." The golden ant said, saluting her with an extended arm, "We have been awaiting your call eagerly."

"Of course, Lord Antr." The queen said, "I see you've kept them in shape."

The armored ant nodded, "A glorious army for a glorious, queen, I always say."

She laughed, a very ladylike and pleasant sound, directly complementing her elegant appearance, "You always flatter."

Lord Antr saluted again his queen and stepped forward and bellowed to his troops, "No quarter! The intruders must be dealt with! Destroy them!"

Marx watched the military procession with wide eyes, unable to focus on any single soldier. He barely felt the orb being lifted from his head as he was fixated on the column. Lord Antr stepped back, beside his queen.

"My lady," He said, almost confusedly, "Is this impish thing yours?"

She stared down at Marx with distaste, then faced the empty heart chamber of NOVA, "Unfortunately, yes. He is my servant as well."

Lord Antr stared at the imp for a moment before turning his attention back to his legions. He watched his men march into NOVA proudly, but part of him wished to be with them on their mission. Lord Antr sighed to himself. His position was at the side of his queen.

The female had long since turned her attention back to the red orb which pulsed eagerly in her hand. NOVA was about to receive a new heart, and she was to be the surgeon…

**I think this chapter is a shorter one. I dunno, I didn't check. **

**Otherwise, I'm fairly happy with how this came out, especially the fight sequence with Galacta Knight. Again, sorry about the wait. I was putting this off for no reason in particular, but it's here now, so don't complain. OR ELSE. **

**Also: Space Roman Ant Nazis?! It's more likely than you think! **

**And if you haven't guessed who that female character is by now, fret not, for it shall be revealed. Sooooooon… **

**So, as always, thanks for the support thus far, if you liked this, drop a review! Until the next chapter! **


	5. Reinforcements

**THERE WILL BE AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END. PLEASE READ IT!**

**Hey, guess who decided to update! **

**THIS GUY. **

**I've noticed that I have a habit of updating at around 1:00 in the morning. Oh well, no problem here, right? Right. **

**This chapter is going to be fun, for me, at least. So we're just going to dive back into the epic sword duel! Onwards! **

Reinforcements

The ringing of blades resounded throughout the chamber. Two knights, both imbued with the strength of rage and competition, slashed furiously at each other.

Meta Knight had several cuts and bruises on the exposed portions of his flesh. Galacta Knight's wings were missing several tufts of feathers, revealing the chalky white bones beneath them. Galacta, too, had many wounds decorating his pink skin. His eyes glowed with extreme rage as his lance moved with lethal quickness. But each time it moved to strike, it was parried by Meta Knight's golden blade.

Meta Knight's sword arm ached intensely. With each parry, it cried out in fatigue, but Meta Knight ignored the pain. He defended more often than not, poised to tire Galacta Knight as well. It had become a duel of attrition.

Galacta Knight's eyes flashed as he saw an opening in Meta Knight's defense. The lance stabbed forward, but met yet again with the golden blade. They held the parry, pressing against one another's weapon.

"You…" Meta Knight grunted, "Can't…win!"

"I…already…have!"

The lance shoved the sword aside with surprising power, and flew forward, aimed straight between Meta Knight's eyes. The blue knight gasped as his defense shattered, and jumped back. Meta Knight realized the Galacta Knight wasn't going to be tiring out any time soon, even if at the moment he panted heavily.

Meta Knight flicked his gaze around the chamber. The room was badly damaged, the walls marred with scorches and the floor torn up with slashes and dents. Galacta Knight stood ready to strike. Meta Knight grunted inwardly and took a step forward.

Galacta Knight launched into the air again holding his lance up high in the direction of the star in the ceiling. A blast of energy shot from the lance, impacting the star, which began to glow bright white.

Lightning began sparking from the star and Galacta Knight chuckled.

A great beam of light lanced out from the star. Meta Knight's eyes widened as the beam fired down on him. He sprang forward and rolled away from the impact which scorched the floor. Galacta Knight stabbed down, but Meta Knight parried the strike.

Meta Knight slashed upward blindly as Galacta Knight pressed forward. The sound of metal raking flesh surprised him.

Galacta Knight roared with rage, a large gash opened on his left side. He tensed, growling. The room seemed to shake.

Meta Knight seized the opportunity. He surged forward, a flurry of stabs and slashes raining down on Galacta Knight.

Meta Knight pressed the attack as Galacta Knight was knocked back under the furious attack. The sound of rushing wind accompanied each attack as Meta Knight attacked wildly and without restraint. Galacta Knight roared again, louder and bloodcurdling as his lance moved to deflect Meta Knight's attacks. The ringing of steel shrieked now and again as the barrage continued, scoring multitudes of cuts and punctures on Galacta's skin.

Galacta Knight beat his wings furiously, causing Meta Knight to slide backwards with the wind.

"Enough!" He screamed in rage, "You will die here!"

Galacta Knight caught fire, an ominous red flame engulfing his entire body. Without another word, he vanished from sight.

Meta Knight cried out as the lance of his foe dug into his back. Galacta Knight withdrew the lance as Meta Knight pivoted on his heel. The knight vanished again.

Galacta Knight reappeared above Meta Knight and thrust downward. Meta Knight's sword blocked the attack, but Galacta had already teleported away to Meta Knight's left. Meta Knight swung his blade but only met empty air as Galacta Knight reappeared behind him again.

"Coward!" Meta Knight accused, swinging around to meet his foe.

Galacta Knight's eyes flared dangerously as the lance came grinding down against Meta Knight's blade. The latter broke free of the lock and leapt backwards, his leathery wings melting back into his cape.

"Know my power!" Meta Knight raged, throwing his cape forward.

The cape expanded as it was thrown, engulfing Galacta Knight.

The room was pitch black, not even the dimming star was visible. Galacta Knight's eyes flicked around, unable to see.

Suddenly, a bright streak of light flashed across his vision. Galacta Knight felt searing pain across his back. Feathers fluttered down in front of him.

Meta Knight had sliced his wings.

In a fury, Galacta Knight swung blindly as another streak of light bore down on him. The streak cut into his mask, leaving a deep scratch in the metal.

Meta Knight faded into the shadows again, having delivered another strike. He panted, holding his arm low. Meta Knight knew he was reaching his limit. The fight had to end, and it had to end fast. He rushed forward again, ready to strike. Galacta Knight whirled towards the streak of light produced by Meta Knight's blade. The angelic knight leapt back and saw as the light died away. Steel colliding with steel rang out and Galacta Knight tackled Meta Knight in the shadows.

The illusion of darkness faded away, collapsing like a curtain around them. Galacta Knight gripped Meta Knight in his hands and growled as he hurled Meta Knight into a wall. A shower of stars exploded across Meta Knight's vision as he collided with the wall. Galacta Knight stalked towards him, lance held over his head.

Meta Knight blinked the stars away and struggled to stand as Galacta Knight rounded on him.

"Weak!" He bellowed, kicking Meta Knight across the floor, "Pathetic!"

Meta Knight slid helplessly across the chamber floor, still clutching his sword. He propped himself up as Galacta Knight approached again. Meta Knight grunted in anger as he flipped his cape over himself.

Galacta Knight stomped a foot as Meta Knight vanished from sight. He turned, searching the chamber for his foe.

A glint of light in the corner of his vision attracted his attention. Whirling around, he stabbed his lance forward, contacting with Meta Knight's swinging blade.

Galacta Knight grunted, mildly impressed with Meta Knight thus far.

"You've improved." Galacta Knight growled.

Meta Knight blinked. Wasn't he stronger than Galacta Knight already?

"But you are not my equal!" Galacta Knight finished, throwing a violent punch.

Meta Knight's vision exploded with stars again, and he reeled backwards. Galacta Knight advanced on him, the red flames engulfing him growing stronger.

"You thought you could best me again." Galacta Knight huffed, "But you weren't aware that each time I am defeated, my strength doubles! I am now more powerful than you will ever even hope to be!"

"Silence!" Meta Knight commanded, his wings flaring again.

Meta Knight lifted off the ground, his sword arm outstretched. Galacta Knight jumped back, observing his opponent's move.

Meta Knight's wings began beating in a manner that spun him in place, creating a fierce wind. Galacta Knight looked on, unimpressed. A little wind was going to do nothing to save Meta Knight.

Meta Knight, his eyes clamped shut in determination, drew his energy into his sword. Fire erupted from the hilt, immediately sealing Meta Knight within a blazing tornado. Galacta Knight stepped back again, his lance held ready.

Meta Knight groaned against the force of his spin, the fire causing him to sweat in its center. His groaning turned to roaring as the spin intensified. Lightning leapt from his blade, impacting the walls and blasting sparks across the chamber.

"MACH TORNADO!"

A great swirling beam of pure energy blasted down from the tornado, rupturing the floor of the chamber and hurling metal girders and plates into the air. The beam fluctuated as Meta Knight spun, and it soon split into twin pillars of fire, whirling around in mimicry of Meta Knight's own spin.

Galacta Knight screamed as the floor gave way and he was lifted into the air by the gale-force winds. The twin tornados exploded outward, swirling in the massive chasm they created as the floor completely collapsed. They converged on Galacta Knight, who was struggling against the winds.

He felt the blaze of heat from the tornados and his eyes widened. Under his breath, he muttered.

"Perhaps I underestimated him…"

With that, Galacta Knight spread his wings outward and yelled, "This is not over!"

He vanished from the floorless chamber as the tornados converged where he floated. They collided in spectacular fashion, exploding like a supernova, blowing a massive hole into the wall of the chasm. Meta Knight ceased his spin with a powerful flap of his wings and surveyed the carnage.

He realized with a start that the entire front wall of what used to be the chamber had completely melted away. The floor had collapsed, revealing a drop, which continued into darkness. The ceiling of the chamber, including the tiny star, was gone, probably blasted away by an external energy induced explosion of the star. Meta Knight noted with disappointment that his opponent had completely fled the scene.

"Disgraceful." Meta Knight muttered as he alighted on the former entrance of the chamber.

The knight sheathed his sword. Despite his own fatigue and injuries, he knew he had to continue to find the others.

000

"Run!"

"Sheez! One minute this place is totally empty and the next a whole gaggle of these bug things comes outta nowhere!"

"Less talking, fatty! More running!"

The halls of NOVA were alive. Antrs swarmed the halls, choking the corridors wall to wall with sheer numbers. Smaller blue Antrs around Kirby's height were at the forefront of the advance. They shouted and jeered at the retreating group, daring them to turn and fight. Green Antrs kept up the pace behind the Blues, occasionally hurling a ball of swamp gas towards the team. Behind the Greens swarmed the Red Antrs, who urged their smaller comrades forward in an insect wave. Each Antr brandished a club and heart-shaped shield.

Adeleine's N-Z scuttled on its two feet, hurriedly carrying Taranza on its head. The N-Z was beginning to lag behind with its passenger.

"C'mon little guy!" Ribbon urged, "Pick up the pace!"

The N-Z squeezed its eyes shut in determination and hurriedly shuffled its feet. Kirby glanced back at the struggling N-Z sympathetically.

"Adeleine!" He shouted, "Draw me a weapon or something!"

"Anything?"

"Anything!"

Adeleine hurriedly scribbled something down on her easel, which she carried on her shoulder and tore the paper off, throwing it to Kirby. Kirby sucked in the paper and swallowed hard.

A parasol flashed into his hand. Kirby gasped, unpleasantly surprised.

"Adeleine, really?!" He complained, "Parasol?!"

"It's the only thing I could think of!" She shouted, "You try painting while running!"

Kirby grunted and turned on his heel, darting back towards the N-Z.

"Hey, Kirby!" Waddle Dee and Dedede shouted in unison.

"You can't fend them off alone!" Dedede yelled, and jumped back to assist.

"We'll help!" Waddle Dee said, following Dedede.

"What about us?!" Magolor complained loudly, "Where do we go?"

Kirby didn't turn to look, "Adeleine!"

Magolor bristled, "I was saying some-"

"What is it now?" Adeleine asked.

"Draw up a big wall to block the way!" Kirby shouted, "Hurry up!"

Magolor turned to Ribbon, "So what, then, we're fighting them off until we can put a wall in the way?"

Ribbon eyed Magolor suspiciously, "And what would you rather do?"

Magolor stuttered. Her question was a good one.

"Well…" He started, "I don't know, actually."

"Then shut your yap and help them!" Ribbon ordered, zipping over to where Kirby, Dedede and Waddle Dee were about to face off against the Antr Army. Magolor sighed as the N-Z carrying Taranza scuttled underneath him and stopped at Adeleine's side. He looked between the two parties and shook his head.

"This is hopeless."

Kirby opened his parasol, spraying water in the face of the advancing army. Dedede wound up his swing, his hammer engulfed in flame. Waddle Dee was spinning his spear like blades of a propeller.

"Company: Halt!" A voice sounded at the rear of the Antr column.

The Antrs stopped immediately, snapping to attention in well-defined ranks.

"Tortoise formation!" The voice commanded.

Immediately, the Antrs raised their shields, completely sealing themselves away from danger.

"Pah." Dedede grunted, a small smile growing on his face, "We'll break those shields like toothpicks, eh, Kirby?"

Kirby kept his eyes forward, but grinned. "You bet! C'mon, let's smash em!"

Waddle Dee, Kirby, and Dedede all jumped forward in unison. Dedede's flaming hammer connected with an Antr's shield, causing it to explode into metal fairings and wooden splinters. The Antr behind it yelped in surprise, but was flattened by another swing of the hammer. Kirby leapt into the hole of the formation created by Dedede and swung his parasol like a sword, tripping three Antrs surrounding him. The others bore down on him with their clubs.

Kirby raised his parasol and opened it. The red and white umbrella defended against swings of the army's maces well enough, but it barely needed to as Waddle Dee made shish kebabs out of his attackers. Kirby picked up one of the defeated Antrs with his parasol and bounced it on top of it. He knocked it forward like a baseball and it bowled over several of its comrades.

"All right!" Waddle Dee cheered.

Ribbon hovered above Dedede, wringing her hands nervously. She floated down next to Dedede and looked at him.

"Need healing?" She asked, "I'm good at that, remember?"

Dedede grinned, "Yeah, I remember. Keep close, we'll need it."

Magolor had gotten closer to the fight, his eyes darting between Kirby and the Antrs. Figuring Kirby and the others were outnumbered, he opened his hand, forming a ball of energy in its palm. He grinned under his scarf.

"Heads up!" Magolor called out, throwing the energy ball forward.

It collided with a row of Green Antrs and exploded in a dazzling blue and purple blast. The Antrs retreated slightly, their hive minded military consciousness assessing the situation. In an instant, the Antrs broke formation, swarming the corridor in disorganized groups.

Adeleine concentrated hard on the great wall she was painting. She squinted, blocking out the sounds of the raging battle behind her. Her brush moved in quick, elaborate strokes, painting details into the wall. The more detailed a drawing was, the stronger it was. Adeleine began to sweat slightly, and she continued her work with vigorous effort.

A club came grinding down on Kirby's head. Kirby yelped in pain as more Antrs surrounded him, pelting him with their weapons, bashing him with their shields. Tears formed in Kirby's eyes as the onslaught continued.

"Back off, chumps!"

A flaming hammer uppercut exploded into the circle of Antrs. Four of them were launched into the ceiling, splattering on impact. The others hissed as their target rounded on them. Kirby rolled onto his back and saw a blurry King Dedede ready to pound his assailants into the ground.

Ribbon swooped in, grabbing her wounded friend by the hands and lifting him away from danger.

She plopped him down gently next to Adeleine.

"How's that wall coming, Ad?" Ribbon said offhandedly as she rubbed her hands together, causing them to glow.

"Well enough." Adeleine grunted, "Almost done."

"Good." Ribbon said, placing her glowing hands on Kirby's cheeks.

Kirby winced as the healing process started. Ribbon concentrated her magic on Kirby's injuries and they soon began to mend themselves.

Kirby looked up appreciatively at Ribbon and smiled.

"Thanks." He managed, "Is everyone else okay?"

Ribbon nodded despite her concentrative state. Kirby peeked over at Adeleine, whose painting was nearing completion. Then he looked at the N-Z carrying the unconscious Taranza and frowned, concerned.

"Think he'll be okay?"

Ribbon removed her hands from Kirby's cheeks and glanced over at Taranza.

"I'm not sure what's wrong with him." She said, "But Magolor says he's in a trance. I'm not sure how much I trust him though."

"Ribbon, if he were bad, he would have left with Marx." Kirby said, standing up, "He's a good guy."

Ribbon huffed, "In your eyes, maybe."

Kirby looked at her with dismay, "He's risking his life over there to help us."

"That's what he wants us to think."

Kirby was about to retort before he heard Waddle Dee yelp in surprise. A jet of flame erupted from one of the Antrs' clubs. Waddle Dee leapt and dodged away, throwing a spear between the bug's eyes.

Kirby jumped up, "Hang on!"

Kirby sprinted towards Waddle Dee and dropped his parasol. He leapt into the air and landed next to a Green Antr. Thinking quickly, Kirby opened his mouth wide and inhaled. The Antr cried out in surprise as he was suddenly entangled in a strong wind. Kirby's eyes clamped shut and he inhaled hard. The Antr was swept from the ground and Kirby swallowed the bug whole.

A blast of green plasma sent several Antrs flying as Kirby donned his Spark hat. The Antrs attempted to swarm him again, but Kirby's spark shield deterred them. They hissed in frustration and regrouped. Magolor hurled a ball of energy into the squad and the Antrs disintegrated, their screams fading away as they were atomized.

Adeleine grinned and bounced up and down excitedly as she finished her painting. She yelled back to her friends,

"Hey guy! Get back!"

Kirby and company acknowledged her warning and withdrew as the Antrs regrouped themselves. Adeleine held her brush out like a sword, and the paper from her easel tore away, racing towards the lines of Antrs.

"I hope this works!" She said warily.

The wall exploded into existence. It grinded itself against the walls, expanding across the entire corridor. Soon enough, the entire corridor was obstructed by a massive silvery wall.

Dedede collapsed onto the ground.

"Boy…" He panted, "That was some fight."

Kirby smiled, "Adeleine, you're awesome."

The artist smiled bashfully, "I try."

Ribbon floated in front of everybody, her wings flapping rapidly, "C'mon, guys! We can't stick around. We gotta get to the heart!"

"Right!" Everyone said with varying degrees of enthusiasm, and they raced down the corridor in search of another route.

000

Lord Antr observed the imp curiously. It stood far off from he and his queen, giggling to itself.

"What's wrong with him?" Lord Antr asked.

The female waved a hand dismissively, not bothering to look at Marx, "He has too much power for his own good. It destroyed his mind, and now he is nothing more than a babbling idiot."

"A powerful babbling idiot, no?" Lord Antr questioned, "He could be dangerous."

"If he were a danger to me, I would have killed him by now."

Lord Antr nodded once, "True."

"It is almost complete." She muttered, "The Master shall reward me greatly for this…"

The relative silence of the core was shattered by a sharp ringing of steel.

A great flash of light flooded the entire room. The three occupants of the core turned to the light. The female grinned wolfishly.

"Perfect." She murmured, "Simply perfect."

Galacta Knight surveyed the three beings inside of the room. He snorted with derision when he noticed Marx. Ignoring him, he floated down towards the tallest individual, who used four elegant wings to float. Galacta Knight approached her.

"You sent the imp to free me." He said, half-accusingly.

She nodded, "I did."

Lord Antr stepped forward, "Such impudence! You will bow before her!"

Galacta Knight glared daggers at the insect, "I bow for no man or woman, king or queen. My master is none but myself."

She waved Lord Antr into silence, "Understandable. A being of your power is wise to follow none but yourself. But I implore you to aid us."

Galacta Knight glanced back to Marx who watched him with a smile plastered on his face. The knight turned back to the female.

"You woke me. And for this I shall ally myself with your cause."

The female smiled, "Wonderful. I am honored to accept your services."

"I have a request." Galacta Knight said, his eyes flashing in anger.

"Speak." She said, turning back to her work.

"I demand to be given an opportunity to exact my revenge." Galacta Knight said, "I demand you to allow me to kill Meta Knight."

She smiled, but Lord Antr growled, "You are in no position to demand anything! Show respect to your queen!"

"Lord Antr, please." She said, "Sir Galacta Knight, I will grant you this opportunity. But first, I have another task for you."

Galacta Knight stepped forward, "Anything."

"You must steal the Star Rod."

Galacta Knight snorted, "The intruders possess it. This is child's play."

"Then take it." She commanded, "And bring it to me."

Galacta Knight bowed his head in acknowledgement, "This is all?"

"That is all." She said, waving him away, "Time is of the essence. Find them and bring the Star Rod here. Do not return without it."

Galacta Knight turned to leave, but turned to her before he did.

"This had better be worth my time."

With that, he teleported from the chamber.

"Such disrespect!" Lord Antr spat, "I would gladly throw him to the wolves!"

"Patience, Lord Antr." She said, turning back to the orb which floated limply inside of the heart's chamber.

She raised her staff and blasted it with electricity, sending pulses through NOVA's system.

"Soon…" She breathed, "The entire universe will bow before my might. All creatures will fall to their knees before Queen Sectonia!"

**Whoa. That was pretty long! **

**Anyways. On the topic of that announcement I promised you all at the beginning. Updates will be getting more and more infrequent now that I have work and stuff. But whenever I can, I'll try to pump out an update for you all. **

**But don't fret! I'm not dead and neither is this story! I'm enjoying it, and I really want to see this thing through to the end, whenever I decide to end it. **

**It's gonna be a real bumpy ride, but we'll have fun along the way, right?**

**Right! **

**So as always, I appreciate all of you who've stuck with me this far. And if you're new to the story, feel free to drop a review or something. It helps! **

**That's about it, for now. Until the next update! See you all then!**


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